CLF _1ST QUARTER NOTES.pdf

CLF 1st Quarterly Examination Notes MIDDLE AGES: CHURCH AND SOCIAL REALITIES Taking advantage of cheap labor and...

CLF 1st Quarterly Examination Notes MIDDLE AGES: CHURCH AND SOCIAL REALITIES Taking advantage of cheap labor and increased opportunities for trade, some The person identifies themselves with the people saw the possibility of amassing community and establishes her own great wealth. identity with the people. As a social being, St. Francis of Assisi rejected the rich life they have an important role to play in the in which he had been born. Instead, he chose voluntarily to live like the poorest community (family, peer, organization, of the poor. church) and make clear their commitment to where they belong. In the church, the INDUSTRIALIZATION person demonstrates her commitment in Brought with it big city poverty. Many helping the least, last and lost as the holy men and women founded religious fundamental call of the Gospel. communities and Church organizations to care for the homeless, beggars, widows, orphans, the unschooled and CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS the physically and mentally ill. Ground itself to the pertinent sources, RERUM NOVARUM (On the Condition of revelation and social dimension. Through Workers) 1891 the CST, people are obliged to “be the Bible to others” through implementing To call attention to the needs of the poor, resolutions. Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical letter (written by the pope for the whole In the society, CST merges with human Roman Catholic church on matters of science for both stress and great concern doctrine, morals, or discipline.) “Rerum on social issues and problems. Novarum”. He made it clear that the Church intended to speak out on social and economic issues and to serve as an HISTORY IN OUTLINE advocate for the poor, as Jesus himself was. Hebrew Scriptures: The roots of Catholic Social Teachings Are found in the Hebrew prophets who: 1. Announce God’s special love for the 10 PRINCIPLES OF CST poor. 1. The Dignity of the Human Person— 2. Called God’s people to a covenant of Understanding and belief that every human love and justice. person has inherent and intrinsic dignity EARLY CHRISTIANITY: given to them by God as His image and Words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels likeness. The Church calls for integral ring out with cries on behalf of the poor human development and denounces any and downtrodden members of society. injustices and actions that malign man’s The actions of Jesus demonstrate his dignity. concern for people who are suffering or 2. Rights and Responsibilities— Every man, overlooked. through his dignity, is endowed with Numerous accounts from the 1st Century indicate that the early Christians saw inalienable rights to life and things needed that the early Christians saw the work of for human decency. Each right corresponds JUSTICE as a hallmark of what it means to duties and responsibilities ordered to be a follower of Christ. towards the welfare of all members of society. Minic Malana — 12 SAL  CLF 1st Quarterly Examination Notes 3. Common Good— Whoever is responsible protected, then the basic rights of workers in governing the society, should provide the must be respected— the right to productive necessary conditions both as individuals work, to decent and fair wages, to the and groups for the fullest development of organization and joining of unions, to all in all aspects. Thus, there should be no private property, and economic initiative. arbitrary discriminations as to the access 10. Care for God’s creation— Our and exercise of all inherent rights stewardship of creation demonstrates our mandated by the constitutions and reverence for the Creator. We are called to entitlement there to as human beings. protect people and the environment, and to 4. Solidarity— Recognizing others as our live out our faith in a way that is respectful brothers and sisters and actively working of all of God’s creation. for their good. In our connected humanity, we are invited to build relationships to understand what life is like for others who DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON are different from us. Every human person is created in the 5. Subsidiarity— With respect to lower-order image and likeness of God, and for this societies. Reminds the higher order not to reason, we are endowed with dignity, interfere with matters that the lower order inalienable rights, and moral obligations. of the society is capable of doing. Human dignity requires protecting each 6. Call to family, community, and individual from abuse by others or society. participation— The individual is social as It cannot be lost, not even by the worst well as scared. Marriage and the family are criminal, intrinsic as it is; it is neither won two of the most important social structures nor merited but merely possessed. that must be defended and strengthened. People have a right and a responsibility to FREEDOM engage in society, pursuing the common good and well-being of all, particularly the Man is rational and, therefore, like God; he poor and vulnerable. is created with free will and is master over 7. Preferential option for the poor and his acts. the vulnerable— Our tradition calls us to Authentic freedom— It is not my private put the needs of the poor and vulnerable possession but my shared freedom with first. We are called to respond to the needs others in the community. of all our sisters and brothers, but those EQUALITY with the greatest needs require the greatest response— the poor and vulnerable. Created in the image of the one God and 8. Universal destination of goods— equally endowed with rational souls, all Whatever is available for the benefit of all men have the same nature and the same should neither be hampered nor limited due origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, to the entitlement of human beings to own all are called to participate in the same any property for such a right is not divine beatitude: all, therefore, enjoy equal absolute. dignity. 9. Dignity of work and rights of worker— Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. The economy must serve people. If the dignity of work is to be Minic Malana — 12 SAL  CLF 1st Quarterly Examination Notes RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN DIGNITY AND FREEDOM “He might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to Him”. According to Saint Augustine in his Ordo Amoris If sin is apathy towards the call to love, what sin would not be social? All sin, even our most one is social. Our private secret sins rob others of the best version of our loving selves; it is in this sense also social, nevertheless public. From the Encyclical, Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate), by Pope Benedict XVI “The Church’s wisdom has always pointed to the presence of original sin in social conditions and in the structure of society: Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social actions and morals” (#34). As theologian Gregory Baum says, “Personal sin is freely chosen; social sin is collective blindness. There is sin as deed and sin as illness." Social sin resides within a group or a community of people. It exists within any structure in society that oppresses human beings, violates human dignity, stifles freedom, and/or imposes great inequity. Minic Malana — 12 SAL